Today we’d like to introduce you to Karen Dawkins.
Hi Karen, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
When my son was a high school senior back in 2012, he got to choose our family vacation destination. I never set geographic parameters, and he chose Paris. Having never traveled to Europe, I reached out to a travel agent who told me a weeklong trip would cost a minimum of $15,000. Ummmm…. NO!
Not wanting to disappoint my son, I got busy researching our options. Direct flights from an airport a few hours away would save $2,000. Booking an apartment through VRBO instead of staying at hotels saved us another $1,500. Using the Paris Metro, even from the airport to the city, I saved a couple hundred dollars. And, using a museum pass, we saved hundreds on admission to Paris’ many museums. We took that trip, made amazing memories and all for less than $7,000.
When we got home, friends wanted to know my secret. After a few long emails, I started my website, “Family Travels on a Budget,” to share tips to save on travel. Somehow, it took off.
Over the years, I realize we all travel on a budget — sometimes big, sometimes small. I continue to share our family adventures and money saving tips for the places we go. I am privileged to work with destinations and travel brands to help readers discover new places to see.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
When I started my travel site, there weren’t a lot of us out there. It was fairly easy to be discovered online.
But, the internet and social media are an ever-changing landscape, and I have to keep up with the technology. People I meet think being a travel writer is “easy,” and compared to my previous job as a criminal prosecutor, it certainly has its advantages. But, I have to keep learning to keep up! There’s lots of behind the scenes drudgery that people don’t know about. Each article takes hours to write, edit and fact check before adding photos and links.
At the same time, I want to be true to who I am. I won’t compromise integrity for page views. For example, my photos are not hyper-edited. I don’t run from place to place trying to get the perfect shot. You’ll see good photos on my website that show the attraction or destination as it is with explanations you can trust.
We’ve been impressed with Family Travels on a Budget, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
Family Travels on a Budget is a travel website designed to help families travel better for less. It’s not all about cheap or super-budget travel, but more about how to discover the places you want to see on the budget you have.
The site is divided into categories. Search for inspiration by destination type like city, beach, cruise, adventure, theme park, USA or worldwide. Or, search by travel age, what’s best for young families, school age families, teens and tweens, adults or multi-generational groups. Our travel resources page provides links to the same money saving tools I use to plan our own family travel, providing you the same opportunity to travel well for less!
I started Family Travels on a Budget to help my friends and family easily plan their own vacations. I didn’t expect it to become a career, but it’s the best surprise. I am honored to work with destinations and travel businesses (cruise lines, hotels and attractions) who trust me to share them fairly and honestly.
Most of all, I am honored that readers trust what I write and reach out to me, sometimes with questions after reading an article, sometimes with a thank you or a suggestion to check out a restaurant or attraction next time I go to X place. Those relationships are the best! Recently, a reader wrote to me asking me to review her itinerary for a Washington, DC trip for her family, planned using suggestions from my own article. She took my information and made it her own — that’s exactly what I strive for every time I write.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
The only essential quality for my website to succeed is integrity. I share my honest opinions about the places I visit so that readers can know what to expect. Do some people like a place better than I do? Sure. But I won’t write for everyone — I share my experience including what I experienced, why I liked a particular aspect of it, and what I think others should know.
Several years ago, I was with a group of travel writers touring a history museum. At first glance, the bright colors and vivid displays seemed perfect for family travel. Another writer even said this was perfect for my demographic. But, every display in the museum was written word heavy. Sure, the colors and displays were bright and inviting, but the museum would be awful for kids who aren’t fluent readers. Heck, it wouldn’t be good for kids who have lots of energy. Bright and colorful isn’t enough to be great for kids, and I do not recommend that museum for families with kids under age 12.
Integrity also applies to the destinations, hotels, cruise lines and attractions I work with. Before I go, we discuss the articles they expect and a timeline for completion. I work to be clear and accurate. When I finish an article, I send it to them and welcome corrections for accuracy. A few times, I have had a bad experience, but I won’t trash a place online because of it. I’ll work with the place to make sure my representation is fair.
For example, a boutique hotel opened near my home. They invited us to spend the night and experience the hotel, expecting a review. Well…. they didn’t have all the kinks worked out. Our room wasn’t properly set — clean, but no towels in the bathroom. Breakfast the next morning didn’t go smoothly either. Somehow, our order got lost and the server didn’t even bring coffee. If I had written a review from my experience, it would have been awful. I shared my feedback directly with them. I spoke with the head of housekeeping and with the restaurant manager. They made changes and worked out the glitches. I went back a couple months later and had an entirely different experience (booked under a pseudonym).
Readers won’t trust me without integrity. Destinations won’t trust me if I am not fair and if I don’t do the work expected. I keep that in mind at all times.
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Contact Info:
- Website: https://familytravelsonabudget.com
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/familytravelsonabudget
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/travelingfamily
- Other: https://instagram.com/karendawkins
